Mold Types – Outdoor, Indoor, Water Damage Indicator

Mold Types

Molds are fungi that act as environmental decomposers that aid in the decomposition of plant matter such as trees and leaves and also decaying organic material. Molds produce mold spores that are constantly floating in the air that we breathe on a daily basis. There are thousands of different types of mold spores known to man. Three categories of different types of molds are common indoor, common outdoor, and water damage indicators. These three categories cover mold types that are commonly found indoors and outdoors.

Common Outdoor

Common outdoor mold types include: Ascospores, Bipolaris, Basidiospores, Curvularia, Epiccocum, Myxomycetes, Smuts, Stemphylium, and Torula. Indoor molds are simply molds that are commonly found indoors. Indoor molds need constant moisture and a nutrient source usually from building materials to grow. It is normal for mold spores to found indoors as well as outdoors. Indoor molds can be found growing in damp places such as under the kitchen cabinet, window seals, basement, etc. Molds commonly found outdoors usually peak in the production of spores during the latter parts of summer and early or mid-fall. During these times mold spores are in higher concentrated due to summer gardens, the mowing of lawns, dead and decaying plant material, and increased humidity levels.

Common Indoor

Common indoor mold types include: Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Fusarium. Indoor mold can also be identified as a musty odor smell in houses. Indoor molds need constant a moisture and nutrient source usually from building materials to grow. It is normal for mold spores to found indoors as well as outdoors. Indoor mold types can be found growing in damp places such as under the kitchen cabinet, window seals, basement, etc.
Another mold type that is commonly seen in houses that might have suffered from water damage or intrusion are the water damage indicators. These mold types usually colonize where there has been a significant amount of water damage done to an area.

Water Damage Indicators

Water damage indicators are frequently seen in dark or dank areas such as crawlspaces, basements, under sinks, etc. These types of mold usually have colors that range from dark brown to black. Stachybotrys, Chaetomium, Memnoniella, Trichoderma, and Ulocladium are all molds that are considered water damage indicators. The majority of these mold species are known to produce mycotoxins which are toxic chemicals produced by fungi that can be harmful to human beings. The common indoor and outdoor types of mold usually don’t pose health issues to normal healthy people. In some cases they will present a health issue to someone who may have a specific allergy to mold or an immunodeficiency.
Common indoor, common outdoor, and water damage indicators are three different mold types that are observed in the world today.